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School Personnel Perspectives on their School’s Implementation of a School-Based Suicide Prevention Program

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Abstract

Youth suicide is a national public health priority, with policymakers highlighting schools as an ideal setting in which to deliver suicide prevention programs. Over the past decade, the number of schools implementing such programs has grown substantially, yet little is known about how successfully such programs are being implemented. This study examines the implementation of a district-wide suicide prevention program through key informant interviews with school personnel. Schools with higher rates of implementing district protocols for at-risk students had an organized system to respond to at-risk students, a process for effectively responding to students who were at-risk for suicide, and strong administrative support. In contrast, schools that had lower rates of implementing district protocols relied on a handful of individuals for suicide prevention activities and had limited administrative support. Attention to organizational factors leading to successful implementation of school-based suicide prevention programs may enhance the role of schools in national adolescent suicide prevention efforts.

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Acknowledgments

Support for this study was provided by the NIMH (R21MH68623, K08MH069741-1, and P30 MH068639). We are indebted to Rich Lieberman of the Los Angeles Unified School District for his support of this project, to Windy Wilkins for research assistance, to Stephanie Lonsinger, Allison Guaspari, and Samantha Shugarman for assistance with the preparation of the manuscript, and finally, to the principals and staff of the participating schools for sharing their experiences with us.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Services Researcher, RAND Corporation, 4570 Fifth Avenue, Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Bradley D. Stein MD, PhD

  2. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Bradley D. Stein MD, PhD

  3. Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel Institute, 10920 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA

    Sheryl H. Kataoka MD, MSHS

  4. UCLA, 1640 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, USA

    Alison B. Hamilton PhD

  5. RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90407, USA

    Gery Ryan PhD

  6. UCLA Semel Institute, Department of Psychiatry, 10920 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA

    Dana Schultz MPP & Pamela Vona MA

  7. School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 669 West 34th Street, MRF 214-MC0411, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA

    Marleen Wong PhD

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  1. Bradley D. Stein MD, PhD
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  2. Sheryl H. Kataoka MD, MSHS
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  3. Alison B. Hamilton PhD
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Correspondence to Bradley D. Stein MD, PhD.

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Stein, B.D., Kataoka, S.H., Hamilton, A.B. et al. School Personnel Perspectives on their School’s Implementation of a School-Based Suicide Prevention Program. J Behav Health Serv Res 37, 338–349 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-009-9174-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-009-9174-2

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